In addressing potential competitors of Apple's iPad, Tim Cook said he has "no concerns" about the the tablets being shown running Microsoft's Windows and Google's Android platform, specifically calling out existing Android offerings as "bizarre" while dismissing future models as vapor.

Cook, who serves as Apple's chief operations officer, first described tablet products running Windows as being "big, heavy, expensive, weak battery life, and need a keyboard or stylus," noting that customers have shown no interest in the products.

A second group of tablets Cook characterized as running a version of Android that "isn't designed for a tablet," adding that Google itself had stated this, and that it wasn't just the opinion of Apple.

Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs made similar comments in the company's previous quarter's conference call, rhetorically asking, "even Google is saying don't use Froyo [the current release of Android OS], and instead to wait to use next years' version. What does it mean when a software maker says not to use their release and you use it anyway?"

Jobs comments appeared to be directed at Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Dell's Streak, two of the more visible Android tablets that became available last year. Cook also echoed Jobs' sentiments on 7 inch tablets from RIM and Android licensees, saying "you wind up having the size of a tablet thats less than reasonable. Or one thats not even a real tablet experience. Its a 'scaled-up smartphone.' Thats a bizarre product in our view."

Apple's "bizarre" is another firm's "odd"

Web developer Sencha made similar observations in its review of the Galaxy Tab as a potential web development target.

While the tablet fits physically between the size of a smartphone and the iPad, the company noted, "One of the oddest aspects of the Galaxy Tab browser is its CSS pixel to device pixel ratio.

"When queried in landscape mode, the Galaxy reports a screen.width of 683px and screen.height of 334px. Since the actual device resolution offers 1024×600, its giving us a 1.5× ratio of device to CSS pixels. This is a little bit of an odd choice since there shouldnt be any reason why it cant offer a 1:1 device-to-CSS-pixel ratio (or even just match the iPhone/Nexus One convention of a 320 pixel device.width which would give it a 1.875 ratio). This makes the Galaxy slightly bigger than a regular phone screen in CSS pixels, but not really big enough to handle what people want to put in a tablet screen."

The firm concluded, "the practical effect of this decision is that the Galaxy Tab is effectively an 'over-sized phone' for the purposes of web content. For example, an iPad-style side-navigation section just won’t fit on the screen. We think its probably best to treat it as a phone with big pixels rather than a true tablet."

New Android tablets still vaporware

Cook wrapped up his evaluation of currently shipping Android tablets by saying, "Those are what is shipping today. If you do a side-by-side with an iPad, some enormous percentage are going to pick the iPad. We have no concern there."

As far as the next generation of Android tablets, Cook said, "Theres nothing shipping yet, and they lack performance specs and pricing. Today theyre vapor. However, were not sitting still. We have a huge first-mover advantage. And a huge user advantage from iTunes to the App Store. Huge number of apps and an ecosystem. Were very confident entering into a fight with anyone."

While Cook regularly describes the percentage of the Fortune 100 and Financial Times Europe 100 businesses supporting or evaluating the iPhone and iPad, this quarter he specifically noted companies that were deploying the iPad, a list that included JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Archer Daniels Midland, and DuPont. Cook also said that over 80% of the Fortune 100 are now deploying or piloting iPad, up from 65% in the previous quarter, and that employee demand for iPad in the corporate environment is strong.

Really? Vaporware? They just announced their tablets like a week and a half ago.

Three months from now if there is nothing, that's vaporware. Sheesh.

Quote:

Web developer Sencha made similar observations in its review of the Galaxy Tab as a potential web development target.

While the tablet fits physically between the size of a smartphone and the iPad, the company noted, "One of the oddest aspects of the Galaxy Tab browser is its CSS pixel to device pixel ratio.

"When queried in landscape mode, the Galaxy reports a screen.width of 683px and screen.height of 334px. Since the actual device resolution offers 1024×600, its giving us a 1.5× ratio of device to CSS pixels. This is a little bit of an odd choice since there shouldnt be any reason why it cant offer a 1:1 device-to-CSS-pixel ratio (or even just match the iPhone/Nexus One convention of a 320 pixel device.width which would give it a 1.875 ratio). This makes the Galaxy slightly bigger than a regular phone screen in CSS pixels, but not really big enough to handle what people want to put in a tablet screen."

The firm concluded, "the practical effect of this decision is that the Galaxy Tab is effectively an 'over-sized phone' for the purposes of web content. For example, an iPad-style side-navigation section just wont fit on the screen. We think its probably best to treat it as a phone with big pixels rather than a true tablet."

Daniel, this is a news site. Regurgitating old headlines every time Android is mentioned is again, kicking a dead horse.

There are a lot of companies that hope to capture what Apple has with the iPad.
Tablets like coby and galaxy tab just don't have what it takes to be competition for the iPad.
I would be afraid to by an android tablet seeing that their phone OS is fragmented because of manufacturers like Samsung.
I highly doubt Samsung will bother with more than one major update for the galaxy before they move on to something else. Coby is just a cheap knock off.

I think the BB tablet and the HP tablet may have some followers. The main problem with both of those options are apps. Apps are what make the device Useful, fun etc. and Apple has those.
BB and HP will release with a very small selection of apps compared to the iPad.
(And, with the BB option, it tries to tie to you owning a sucktastic BB phone as well? Not happening)

If I were to buy a tablet, which I don't see myself doing in the near future, It would be the ipad2.
7" screens are too small and I wouldn't buy anything from BB. That leaves the Hp tablet. I really like the look and feel of Web OS, and on a tablet it would likely be "cool", but it won't have an app store like Apple iTunes. ( yes, it will have an app store obviously, it just won't have near the apps quantity of iTunes)

Just like WP7 phones have a great OS, but the Marketplace lacks in a big way compared to Apple.

I thought Apple needed to look at a 7" form factor until I checked out an iPad in the flesh. It is the correct size in that it's not nearly as large as one might imagine. Smaller doesn't make sense just as 9" netbooks have proven to be lousy laptops.

The competition has been done in by one element of the iPad that doesn't get nearly enough ink. Apple is offering a $500 10-inch tablet while the competition can only approach that price by reducing their devices down to a 7" screen form factor.

The perceived value of iPad 2, which I suspect is weeks away from being released, will be even more of a challenge for the competition.

Bottom line is, making the iPad is a fine accomplishment but making the iPad a 10" device checking in at a starting price of $500, incredible. The competition is reeling and might never recover.

Interestingly enough, I do not think that Cook took on the Blackberry Playbook. I think that despite its 7" screen, the Playbook represents a serious challenge to Cupertino's domination. Well, not so much a challenge to their domination as a challenge to their unbelievable marketshare.

In addressing potential competitors of Apple's iPad, Tim Cook said he has "no concerns" about the the tablets being shown running Microsoft's Windows and Google's Android platform, specifically calling out existing Android offerings as "bizarre" while dismissing future models as vapor.

Cook, who serves as Apple's chief operations officer, first described tablet products running Windows as being "big, heavy, expensive, weak battery life, and need a keyboard or stylus," noting that customers have shown no interest in the products.

A second group of tablets Cook characterized as running a version of Android that "isn't designed for a tablet," adding that Google itself had stated this, and that it wasn't just the opinion of Apple.

I am SO glad to see him coming out swinging! He needs to put Android in its place. Go Tim!

In addressing potential competitors of Apple's iPad, Tim Cook said he has "no concerns" about the the tablets being shown running Microsoft's Windows and Google's Android platform, specifically calling out existing Android offerings as "bizarre" while dismissing future models as vapor.

I do hope this is bravado, and that internally Apple is taking their competition extremely seriously.

Interestingly enough, I do not think that Cook took on the Blackberry Playbook. I think that despite its 7" screen, the Playbook represents a serious challenge to Cupertino's domination. Well, not so much a challenge to their domination as a challenge to their unbelievable marketshare.

I doubt it. Even Google's honeycomb seems tainted. They focus on the homescreen more than apps. Quite the stark difference compared to Apple which focuses on apps more than the homescreen.

The biggest challenge I see for the iPad is HP's Slate or PalmPad, whatever it's called. WebOS is a great piece of software. Although we haven't seen it yet, I have a feeling they copied Apple's approach and scaled their phone os up to tablet size. Which is a good thing. Honeycomb bares little resemblance to the current Android.

Lucky for Apple but unfortunate for HP is they seem to have a hard time getting their products released in time. Apple's development cycle tends to lap everyone else. By the time they release their product Apple is readying their next model.

I have to agree with sprockets on this one. AppleInsider has good rumor reporting, but its analysis pieces are totally one-sided, pro-Apple, spin and propaganda. I guess this is good business sense, for a website that has an apple-fan reader base, but it's over the top.

For example, the dismissal of 7-inch tablets (which IMO have a niche among mobile users who want more than the smartphone experience) mirrors and amplifies Apple's FUD on the topic, and its articles on Android caricature the competition.

N.B. This coming from a confirmed member of the Apple faithful (Mac only since my PowerMac 6100, said a prayer for Steve the other day)

I am interesting in knowing what type of apps and background process the iPad can't handle?!

I use a stylus with my iPad for sketching. So the iPad can handle that type of input.

Sure. But can your screen track the stylus without it even touching it? Can it tell when I am right clicking? Mine can.

Anyhow, to run our software it would need an sql database running in the background, a web server, which talks to our main database, while the tech talks to that database via a web browser. It's done this way so that when a call is dispatched it comes all loaded in locally, thereby allowing it to work if I lose WWLAN.

Really? Vaporware? They just announced their tablets like a week and a half ago.

Three months from now if there is nothing, that's vaporware. Sheesh.

Yes actually it's vapor if you can't buy it now. Three months from now (if that's really when these products become available) they will be competing with whatever Apple has out then (Apple's vaporware today - iPad 2).

Android's rise has been fuelled by FUD, smoke and mirrors - eg stuffing Android store with garbage just to get the numbers up. It's worked, sorta, but it's not something to build a long term strategy on.

Yesterday's figures showing that even the best phone handset maker, HTC only makes 50% of its handsets upgradeable - with the 2nd, Samsung a lamentable 11%, and all the rest 0%, shows what a nightmare kludge the Android user experience is. That 70% figure for Android owners who would go Android again when they next buy another handset is going to look like nirvana in another 12 months time.

The tablet market will be even worse for Android - if Google has sold out to the carriers and manufacturers for handsets, who is going to look after Android tablet owners? Samsung Galaxy shows how hard it is for anyone to come near to Apple's enormous cost advantages with iPad - and iPad2 will only make that worse.

Apple's ecosystem is getting stronger and stronger, but Google's half-baked efforts still look beta and amateurish. The reality is there's no-one with the resources to give it the very real substance of Apple's still-growing world. Android's cracks are real, and getting bigger by the week, and Eric Schmidt's half-baked antics and dirty tricks can only fail in the medium and long term.

Sure. But can your screen track the stylus without it even touching it? Can it tell when I am right clicking? Mine can.

Anyhow, to run our software it would need an sql database running in the background, a web server, which talks to our main database, while the tech talks to that database via a web browser. It's done this way so that when a call is dispatched it comes all loaded in locally, thereby allowing it to work if I lose WWLAN.

Maybe the iPad cannot do that the exactly same way but I am sure there are other ways to achieve the same results. You can develop iPad/iPhone apps in-house so you are not bound by the App Store rules.

The problem I've seen with many IT is that they are used to do things one way and don't want to change it.

Yes actually it's vapor if you can't buy it now. Three months from now (if that's really when these products become available) they will be competing with whatever Apple has out then (Apple's vaporware today - iPad 2).

You are redefining vaporware.

Apple announced the ipad back in Jan of 2010. It wasn't released until April. Was that vaporware too?

I thought Apple needed to look at a 7" form factor until I checked out an iPad in the flesh. It is the correct size in that it's not nearly as large as one might imagine. Smaller doesn't make sense just as 9" netbooks have proven to be lousy laptops.

The competition has been done in by one element of the iPad that doesn't get nearly enough ink. Apple is offering a $500 10-inch tablet while the competition can only approach that price by reducing their devices down to a 7" screen form factor.

The perceived value of iPad 2, which I suspect is weeks away from being released, will be even more of a challenge for the competition.

Bottom line is, making the iPad is a fine accomplishment but making the iPad a 10" device checking in at a starting price of $500, incredible. The competition is reeling and might never recover.

It may be years before the competition is ready for the task.

Apple just signed long-term supply contracts worth $3.9 billion. They're freezing out the competition, much as they did when they signed long-term NAND flash memory contracts several years ago. Apple's gross margins on the iPad will improve;

If they are prepaying any of this money, they are basically assisting R&D funding for their component partners which will pay off with first access to premium quality components. We may have already seen this with the iPhone 4's Retina Display. If we see an improved display in the iPad 2, we may be looking at a pattern of other manufacturers not having access to premium quality components and/or paying much more for them.

Maybe the iPad cannot do that the exactly same way but I am sure there are other ways to achieve the same results. You can develop iPad/iPhone apps in-house so you are not bound by the App Store rules.

The problem I've seen with many IT is that they are used to do things one way and don't want to change it.

Well it also has to be a tested solution. My company spend 4 million dollars on that system.

Not to mention too I doubt the ipad can print to our printers, ever.

We also have our incoming call center use that same system to keep track of our customers info, make new work orders to order parts from various venders, etc.

In the future when tablet's (more like ARM) gets good enough, we'll see a shift. But the support and infrastructure isn't there yet, and Apple doesn't seem to get the enterprise.

Well you're obviously not in the military, because they seem to feel their rugged enough for them. You know you can get cases for these things?

An ipad in our trucks would get destroyed within a summer. That tablet also has a supporting cradle for work vans which sports a base that charges it and offers usb ports and sound. It also locks the tablet if we want to. Does apple have such a solution?

Not to mention it gets over 110 in our trucks while we are working. We can't have computers do this when it gets hot.

Yes actually it's vapor if you can't buy it now. Three months from now (if that's really when these products become available) they will be competing with whatever Apple has out then (Apple's vaporware today - iPad 2).

Small correction. Apple's vaporware of today had they announced an iPad 2 that wasn't shipping for three months.

An ipad in our trucks would get destroyed within a summer. That tablet also has a supporting cradle for work vans which sports a base that charges it and offers usb ports and sound. It also locks the tablet if we want to. Does apple have such a solution?

Not to mention it gets over 110 in our trucks while we are working. We can't have computers do this when it gets hot.

You'll shut down if you sit in a truck at 110 for extended periods of time.